How a Misprinted Phone Number Led to NORAD's Santa Tracker Tradition
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The tradition of NORAD's Santa tracker began in 1955 due to a misprinted phone number in a Colorado newspaper advertisement. The advertisement, placed by Sears Roebuck & Co., was intended to promote a hotline where children could call to talk to Santa Claus. However, instead of the correct number, the advertisement listed a top-secret hotline number for the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), which later became the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
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On Christmas Eve of that year, a young child in Colorado Springs, following the instructions in the ad, dialed the number expecting to reach Santa. Instead, the child was connected to Colonel Harry Shoup, the duty officer at CONAD. Recognizing the mistake and the potential for disappointment, Colonel Shoup decided to play along. He instructed his staff to provide updates on Santa's location to any child who called in, thus inadvertently starting the tradition of tracking Santa's journey around the world.
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Over the years, the tradition grew into a massive volunteer effort, with NORAD's Santa tracker becoming a beloved holiday tradition. Millions of children from around the globe now eagerly await updates on Santa's progress on Christmas Eve, making it one of the most popular holiday activities.